State Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett completed a two-day, seven-county tour of communities in the North Country, where she met hospital leadership, healthcare workers, behavioral health and substance abuse providers, regional conveners, as well as long-term care, public health, and primary care leaders, who make up the region’s frontline health workers. 

The tour included stops at Adirondack Health Institute and Glens Falls Hospital in Glens Falls, the Fort Hudson Health System in Hudson Falls and Hudson Headwaters Health Network in Queensbury.

The visit to the North Country was the latest in a series of tours the commissioner has made as she travels the state to engage the state’s health delivery system and discuss local challenges.

“It’s difficult to deny the breathtaking beauty of New York’s North Country, but it’s also obvious that we face challenges in strengthening the region’s health system and making sure everyone has equitable access to high-quality and afford health care,” Bassett said. “By focusing on opportunities to collaborate with regional health care providers and institutions of higher education, the Department is prepared to do its part to help to build pipelines of qualified workers and bring the next generation of medical professionals to this beautiful area of New York state.”

The commissioner often heard at stops throughout the North Country about the unique challenges of creating a strong health system in a sprawling rural region. Efforts to recruit and retain the health workforce, lack of affordable housing, problems with transportation, and even the limitations of cellular phone coverage and broadband access are issues facing the North Country.

Bassett was accompanied by the Department’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Eugene Heslin, who has been with the Department since 2017, and was appointed to Bassett’s leadership cabinet in July as part of the commissioner’s initiative to enhance the department’s talent, workflow and collaboration, the integration of new systems, and increase diversity as part of its overall mission to build a healthier, more equitable New York. 

SUNY Adirondack has developed a new on-campus health and wellness office to further meet the needs of students.

As part of that development, the college named Lori Prock as director of health and wellness; Tobey Gifford and Kyle Esposito as wellness coordinators; and Deb Neal as its nurse.

“We are excited to add to existing health initiatives on campus to ensure we are caring for our students’ well-being in a holistic way,” said Kathryn O’Sick, dean for Student Affairs. “Lori, Tobey, Kyle and Debbie each bring years of experience in their respective fields, and are passionate about helping people be their healthiest, happiest selves.”

The office is possible with funds designated to the college through the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, a portion of which SUNY dictates must be designated to support the mental health and wellness of students. 

Prock was most recently emergency preparedness coordinator for Saratoga County. She previously served as health educator and senior health educator for that county’s Department of Public Health. 

She started her career as a substitute teacher, then worked for OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration). She earned a bachelor’s degree in Biology from The College of Saint Rose and a master’s degree in Health Education from Sage Colleges. 

“We will look at the six pillars of health—physical, emotional, social, spiritual, intellectual and occupational—and how we can address all of them to better meet the needs of students,” Prock said.